All MARTA rail and bus rides are free on Labor Day, Sept. 7

MARTA wants people to ride its trains and buses free of charge on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The system is hoping that by losing money on one day it will encourage people to use the transit system at other times during the year, according to Ryland McClendon, assistant general manager of communication external affairs at MARTA.

“We want to say thank you. We want to say thank you to our loyal customers, but more importantly we also want to say, ‘Hey, give MARTA a try. For people who do not use MARTA, we want you to try us out’,” Ryland told WABE during a segment of the station’s “Closer Look” programming.

And why Labor Day? Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest times of the year in Atlanta.
It’s a great time to showcase the system and help fight traffic, Ryland said.

And while several events end before Labor Day on Monday, visitors stick around to take in Atlanta attractions, including the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and the College Football Hall of Fame, which are offering “Fan Days” discounts.

Ryland said MARTA hopes people who use the system for free on Monday will take note of attractions near MARTA sites and drop by later for a visit. MARTA will operate Monday on a holiday schedule, but will probably not single-track, Ryland said.